On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Alex Montagano walked down King Edward Avenue in Montreal, knocking on doors to make his pitch.
Montagano is not a traditional candidate for federal elections. His campaign materials show him in a driver’s uniform, a nod to his passion for trains, and he stamps his flyers with a ticket punch.
He is running in Monday’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount by-election under the banner of the Centrist Party of Canada, a party that has never fielded a federal candidate.
But Montagano, or “Trainman,” as he’s identified to voters, said a vote for him is a protest vote, meant to send a message to the Liberal Party of Canada.
And while trains may be his passion, his political interests include the linguistic rights of English-speaking Quebecers, which he believes are under threat.
Alex ‘Trainman’ Montagano said he is running in the federal by-election to send a message to the Liberal government. (Alex Montagano)
“We’ve been given this idea, this concept that Canada was open, that it’s a free society,” he said.
“This idea of Canada is dying in Quebec. It’s being attacked.”
On a walk through the neighborhood, his cri de coeur echoes among the residents. Many of them brought up language as their biggest concern, after recent provincial and federal legislation increased tensions in Quebec’s English-speaking community.
“I think language is one of the biggest issues,” said first-time voter Thomas Donnelly. “To get a job, you really have to be perfectly bilingual… It’s very difficult for people to feel included in this province.”
C-13, Bill 96 and the Liberals
The riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount is considered a Liberal stronghold.
It is also the heart of Anglophone Montreal. According to census data, around 44% of residents indicate English as their mother tongue.
It was held by Liberal MP Marc Garneau until he resigned last spring.
Although the boundaries of the constituency have changed over time, the area has consistently elected Liberal candidates since the 1990s.
A campaign poster for Conservative candidate Mathew Kaminski in the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount. (CBC News)
The Liberal candidate this time, Anna Gainey, is a former party president. His father, Bob Gainey, played for the Montreal Canadiens and became their general manager. He did not make himself available for an interview.
But in recent months, groups representing English-speaking Quebecers, including the Quebec Network of Community Groups, have expressed concern about a bill introduced by the federal Liberal government, C-13, that is a renewal of the Official languages law. The bill passed the Senate earlier this week.
The bill aims to strengthen French in Canada, inside and outside of Quebec.
But some groups representing English-speaking Quebecers have expressed concern over the bill’s repeated references to Quebec’s Charter of the French Language, which some fear could be interpreted as a tacit endorsement of a recent tightening of provincial language laws in Quebec through Bill 96.
Bill 96 introduced an overhaul of language laws including a stricter definition of who qualifies for English-language services, increased powers for provincial language control, a cap on English-language colleges known as in CEGEP and much more.
“There is a definite concern,” said Jonathan Pedneault, co-leader of the Green Party and candidate in the by-election.
“People feel like they’re being treated as second-class citizens, and I understand that concern.”
Concern about tacit approval
It also invokes the notwithstanding clause, a section of the Bill of Rights that gives provincial governments the ability to override parts of the charter, to protect the law from legal challenges.
All of this has left the English-speaking community on edge, said former senator and Montreal Gazette editor-in-chief Joan Fraser.
“We’ve been used to the idea for a long time that Quebec government policies tend not to be very helpful to us, but that the federal government gave us the same legal standing,” he told CBC News.
“There is now a feeling, not unwarranted, that the federal government is more interested in getting along with the Quebec government than in protecting us.”
But residents hoping to park their vote with another non-Liberal party don’t have a clear choice either.
C-13 passed the House of Commons almost unanimously. Only Liberal MP Anthony Housefather voted against it.
WATCH: Liberal MP explains why he voted against his government’s language bill
Montreal-area Liberal MP on why he voted against the Trudeau government’s minority languages bill
Anthony Housefather was the only MP to vote against Bill C-13, the Trudeau government’s controversial minority language reform
He said he is concerned that references in a federal bill to the Quebec French Language Charter could undermine legal challenges to Bill 96. some of which are already underway.
“I’m not saying there’s a substantial risk or a huge risk, but I think there’s a moderate risk. And I’d rather not take a moderate risk for my community’s right to receive federal service in English,” he said.
Federal Official Languages Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor has repeatedly said that C-13 will not adversely affect English-speaking Quebecers.
His ministry also pledged $2.5 million to support the community’s arts and culture sector.
Despite the quiet, voters like Doug Karpman said C-13 and Bill 96 are the main focus for many people in this byelection.
“I would say that’s the only issue I’ve heard of in the by-election,” he said. “People are concerned about their minority rights within the English community.”
